188 Special Nature Reserve Milesevka and the Mileseva Monastery Nadezda Pesic, Svetlana Dingarac and Dimitrije Pesic

Introduction and history of the by the Institute for the Protection of Cul- legal protection of the site tural Monuments of . In south-western Serbia, on the territory The protected natural environment of the former state of Raska, on the adds to the character and the beauty banks of River Milesevka, lies a spiritu- of the monastery. The surroundings of ally, culturally, historically and artistical- Mileseva are dominated by the canyon ly very important monument of the of River Milesevka, with a mediaeval country’s past, the Mileseva Monastery. fortification on the rocky top and mo- It became the most holy place of the nastic cells high above the river. The , and people area of 290 ha is protected as a natu- after the relics of St Sava have been ral, cultural and historic complex. In transferred there from Trnovo (Bulgaria) 1990, the Institute for Nature Protection in 1236. From that time on the Mileseva of Serbia declared the surroundings of Monastery became a place of pilgrim- the monastery as a protected area of age of the Serbian people and other natural and cultural importance called Orthodox nations from the Balkans. It the Protected Natural Surroundings of was declared a ‘Cultural property of ex- the Mileseva Monastery, managed by ceptional national significance’ in 1979 the Serbian Orthodox Church.

< The White Angel from the scene the Holy Women at the Sepulchre.

189 The Special Nature Reserve Milesevka and the Protected Natural Surroundings of the Mileseva Monastery.

The gorge of River Milesevka was des- Natural values ignated as a Regional Nature Park in The Special Nature Reserve Milesevka 1976. Now, the protected area is is situated between the two mountains planned to be designated as a Special Zlatar (1627 m) and Jadovnik (1734 m). Nature Reserve of 1236 hectares in The canyon is characterised by unique size. The State Enterprise for Forest wild and rough nature, picturesque Management `Srbijasume` is in charge landscapes, inaccessible paths and the of the management of Milesevka Re- steep rock formations that sometimes gional Nature Park. rise to a height of 300 m and descend The Milesevka Gorge is proposed for almost vertically towards the riverbed. designation as an IUCN Category IV. The gorge is 24 km long and it ends As a site of national and international near the Mileseva Monastery. Walking importance, the Milesevka Gorge is in- through the gorge is possible only via a cluded in the list of ‘Important Birds narrow path carved into the cliffs. ­Areas in Europe, BirdLife 2000’ (YU 21 The flagship species of the protected SE). It is also included in the ecologi- area is the griffon vulture (Gyps ful- cal network ‘Emerald’, this being a pre- vus). The bird is protected as a rare paratory step towards an inclusion in species as it had almost disappeared. the Natura 2000 network. The Ministry Thanks to the efforts of experts and of Environment and Spatial Planning volunteers, the number of birds has and the Institute for Nature Conserva- multiplied, and currently, Serbia has tion of Serbia are responsible for moni- the largest griffon vulture populations toring and protection of the protected in the Balkan countries. The vulture is area. considered a holy bird among the

190 . From the eleventh century to ing, adrenalin tours through Milesevka the present times, it has been on the gorge, photo safaris, visits to spiritual, Serbian state coat of arms. historic and cultural monuments, rural tourism etc. Visit to the Reserves is re- On the other hand, there are 30 en- stricted to small groups. The local pop- demic taxa in the gorge’s flora (Ma- ulation does not endanger the griffon tovic, 1992). Eight species are consid- vultures with their everyday activities. ered rare. The fauna is represented by 24 species of mammals, many of those The Milesevka Gorge is considered a considered rare (bear, otter, wild sacred place by the Orthodox Chris- boar…). There are 73 species of birds, tians, because St Sava’s body rested 38 of those rare and of international im- there. His spirit has been protecting portance (such as Gyps fulvus, Aquila the gorge and all visitors with good in- chrysaetos, Falco tinnunculus, Crex tentions. The opposite is true as well: crex, Falco peregrinus, Alectoris grae- all actions that could impair the gorge ca, Bubo bubo, Alauda arvensis, Ti- bring misfortune. chodroma muraria, Lanius collurio…).

The activities in the Reserves are gen- Cultural heritage erally focused on supervising and maintaining the protected areas. Tourist The Raska region has been consid- activities include trekking, bird watch- ered holy since the beginning of the

The Mileseva Monastery (1219-1235).

191 twelfth century, when the first Serbian er, it became the most holy place of state had been established by the sac- Serbia after the transfer of the relics of rosanct Nemanjic dynasty. It had ruled St Sava. St Sava (1174–1235) is widely over the Serbian lands continuously considered as the most important fig- during the period of more than two ure of Serbian history and is canonised centuries (1166–1371). Kings from the and venerated by the Serbian Ortho- holy Nemanjic dynasty established the dox Church. St Sava was an Orthodox Serbian spirituality: the Serbian Ortho- monk, the first Archbishop of the Serbi- dox church, Svetosavlje (Saintsava- an Orthodox Church, a diplomat, writ- ism), literacy, literature, legislation and er, legislator and founder of several im- school system. Deeply religious and portant medieval monasteries. devoted to Orthodoxy, all the rulers of Since that time the Mileseva Monastery this family were generous donors who has been the spiritual and cultural cen- erected many magnificent monasteries tre of this region and a place of pil- and churches all over Serbia and even grimage for the Serbians and other Or- on Mount Athos (Hilandar). Until pre- thodox nations from the Balkans (Kan- sent times all of them are important dic, 1995). This tradition has never spiritual places, with valuable monu- been interrupted throughout the centu- ments of medieval construction and ar- ries until present times, despite many chitecture and galleries of the most different historical influences (the Turk- beautiful fresco paintings. ish occupation, wars, communism…). The Mileseva Monastery was erected Thus, Mileseva became a centre of between 1219 and 1235 by King hope, courage, and inspiration for the Vladislav Nemanjic. Although the mon- Serbian struggle against the Turkish astery was already important and well- occupation. Many miracles took place known as the burial place of its found- at the grave of St Sava in the Mileseva

The Mileseva Monastery, the Milesevac fortress, the River Milesevka Gorge and the village of Hisardzik make up a natural, cultural and historical complex.

192 monastery. The Venetian diplomat portant spiritual and cultural centre Ramberty, who visited Mileseva in with a scriptorium and a library, where 1534, wrote that not only Serbs, but original works of Serbian literature also Muslims and Jews were visiting were copied. Also, one of the oldest the monastery and asking for healing. schools of Serbia existed in the mon- astery. In 1544, one of the first printing Mileseva was ranked second among houses in Serbia was established in all Serbian monasteries. In the golden the monastery (Nemirovski, 1996). The age of Serbia, during the Nemanjic dy- monks printed two books: the Psalter nasty, the monastic community in the in 1544 and the Prayer Book in 1546. A Mileseva Monastery counted around second edition of the Psalter was print- 300 monks. In 1377 the church saw the ed in 1557. The printing house was lo- coronation of Stjepan Tvrtko Kotroman- cated and assembled in a secret hid- ic as the king of Bosnia and Serbia, ing place in the sub-dome area of the while in 1466 Stephan Vukcic Kosaca outer narthex. Manuscripts and printed received the title the `Duke of St Sava’. books were disseminated throughout The monastery, an artistic and ecclesi- Europe owing several destructions of astical-political centre, situated at one the monastery, the migrations of the of the chief stopping places on an im- Serbian population during the rule of portant international trade route served the Ottoman Turks, the riots against the as the intersection of influences from Ottoman Turks, and wars. Today, only a Eastern and Western Europe for few manuscripts and printed books are centuries. kept in the renewed treasury. The church of Mileseva is dedicated to The monastery was torn down many the Ascension of the Lord and is built times in its history, as also other Serbi- in the traditional style of the Raska re- an holy places. The first time the mon- gion. Mileseva’s thirteenth century astery was ruined in 1459 by the Otto- frescoes are considered to be one of man Turks. It was renewed and recon- the best samples of painting in Europe structed with the help of the Grand Vi- of that time (Cmiljanovic, 2009). One of zier Mehmed Pasha and his close rela- the most famous Mileseva frescoes is tive Patriarch Makarije Sokolovic. In the White Angel from the scene of the 1624 the raging stream took a part of Holy Women at the Sepulchre, as well the yard away together with some ob- as a fresco with the portraits of family jects. The monks completely recon- members of the Nemanjics. The structed the church and other build- Mileseva portraits of the first Nemanjic ings with the help of the Russian em- family members were made while they perors. During the Austrian-Turkish were still alive and therefore are of War of 1689–90, the Mileseva Monas- great historical value. tery, like other Serbian churches and Since the time of its foundation, the monasteries, was plundered and dev- Mileseva Monastery has been an im- astated. A large number of monks, to-

193 gether with thousands of Serbian fami- lies, moved to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The monastery was left in ruins and without monks. In 1863 some prominent local families were allowed by the Turkish Vizier to restore the monastery and the work was complet- ed in six years time by local builders (who used traditional building tech- niques?). There was a great flood at the end of the nineteen century, which once more caused major damage to the monastery. After World War II, the Serbian communist government con- fiscated all monastery property, and only one monk stayed there for more than 20 years without any financial support from the authorities. A plethora of monastic hermitages in the cliffs of the River Milesevka Gorge. In 1974, the Serbian Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments start- ed excavations and conservation hermitages founded in natural caves. works. The church was repaired, the They are called ‘fasting cells’ and are frescoes cleaned and conserved. De- located in natural spots thought to be tailed activities were initiated in 1980 God’s creation. The first written refer- ence to these ‘fasting cells’ is a manu- (Lukic, 2004) with regard to the church, script from 1508 (Spasic, 1996). Fast- monastery premises and monastery ing cells are significant elements of the surroundings. medieval spiritual heritage and invalua- In 1992 the Mileseva Eparchy was es- ble monuments of the period. In the tablished; monks and a Bishop settled largest hermitage named after St Sava again the monastery. In 2002 Mileseva there is a spring of holy water. There are became a female monastery. At pre- no written records about when exactly sent, the monastic community consists the hermits stopped living in the Milese- of seven nuns, one monk and four va fasting cells. Today, they are consid- novices. ered as a cult place, but monks do not use them any longer. On the steep cliff over the depths of the Milesevka Gorge there are the rem- The Mileseva Monastery, the Milesevac nants of twelfth century town Milesevac, fortress, the St Sava hermitage and the which has been declared a Cultural village Hisardzik constitute a natural, Monument. Below the town, on the cultural and historical complex, appre- north side of the cliff, there are three ciated alike by the Christian and the

194 Muslim populations of the region, who had always emphasised their role as are living together harmoniously? guardians of the tomb of St Sava and his cult, even after Sinan Pasha took St Visitors and pilgrims who come to the Sava’s relics to (in 1594 or monastery attend religious services. 1595), and burned them in order to Some of them walk through the can- break the Serbian rebellion against the yon, and climb a path up to the hermit- Turks. For the Serbian Church and St age of St Sava, where they wash their Sava cult promoters on the other hand, face and drink the holy water. the burning of the St Sava relics be- came of utmost importance, through Spiritual values which the Saint gained a posthumous martyrdom status. His cult was strength- The ethnical and cultural identity of the ened and his burial place in the Milese- population of the local communities in va Monastery augmented its value as a the Raska region is marked by Sve- pilgrimage site, which survives until tosavlje (Saintsavaism). Svetosavlje’s today. ethic implies a historical normative In Serbian oral tradition during the Me- pattern of social behaviour and collec- dieval and the Ottoman periods, St Sa- tive effort of the Serbs as Orthodox va’s role was to watch always over the Christians that imbues all areas of hu- Serbian people. In many popular leg- man practice (Mitrovic, 1995). ends and folk tales he is the creator of St Sava spiritually united the Serbs and miraculous springs, a master of the that feeling still persists despite a num- forces of nature. Numerous sites have ber of different influences they received. been named after St Sava and consid- St Sava became a myth and a constant ered holy places (water springs, rocks, inspiration for the Serbian people. The mountain peaks etc.) and they are al- veneration of St Sava was supported by ways marked with a cross. This links a whole dynasty, a powerful church or- folk spirituality with nature, and nature ganisation and the people of Serbia, conservation. and that strengthened his cult back in St Sava’s Day (27 January) is the ‘sla- the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. va’ (the patron saint’s day) for the During the period of the Ottoman domi- Mileseva Monastery and is celebrated nation, St Sava was a central figure in with holy liturgy, the operation of a spir- both the formal religious and traditional itual academy in the monastery and a cultures, which were responsible for large gathering of people. keeping the national spirit of the Serbs alive. His miracle-working body in the Christianity was introduced in Serbia in monastery of Mileseva was venerated the ninth century, but the Serbs main- by pilgrims who came from near and far tained a lot of pre-Christian rituals. St destinations to implore his intercession. Sava Christianised those customs and The monks from the Mileseva Monastery linked them to Christian saints. Many

195 pre-Christian Serbian tribal customs, Zavetina: a holiday devoted to the pa- cults and myths are preserved in Sve- tron of each village. It is an important tosavlje, not only as secondary relicts social event during which a religious of the old spirituality, but also as funda- procession takes place. The litany mental pillars of Svetosavlje. The comprises of cross bearers and their Church of Svetosavlje originated from co-villagers who visit the village’s sa- the people and it is expressed in peo- cred sites (usually beautiful natural ple’s language. Religious service is sites). The litany arrives at the holy site performed not only in churches and (holy spring, holy hill or holy tree monasteries, but also at the sacred [zapis]) and pray. After traditional food sites in nature, near zapis (holy trees) has been served, the ritual continues. at the fields where some big battles Zapis: (Inscription) – sacred trees, have were fought and the Serbian people been important long-lasting natural ele- suffered their own calvary. Some other ments and respected through the cen- pre-Christian rituals and customs in- turies until the present day. The select- corporated in Svetosavlje are: ed tree becomes a zapis through the rite of consecration performed by a Ser- Krsna Slava: the celebration of the Pa- bian Orthodox priest in which a cross is tron Saint of the home is most typical of inscribed into its bark. The Zapis is invi- the national and religious life of the olable: it is believed that great misfor- Serbian people, and is an exclusively tune will befall anyone who dares to cut Serbian custom. During its construc- it down. If the tree fell naturally, the tree tion, every house is sanctified with a had to remain at the spot and that place religious ritual, and a sanctuary lamp was marked with a wooden cross. Peo- and an icon are brought into the house. ple gathered in prayer and sought pre- On the day of the Patron each family vention from misfortune. In Serbian celebrates, and neighbours and popular religion these rituals have an friends gather. After the religious ser- important role, binding and strengthen- vice, which is performed by the local ing the local communities and evoking priest, bread made especially for this the respect of nature. It is important to occasion is parted and everybody cel- preserve the beauty and original char- ebrates with food, drinks and toasts for acter of the Raska district customs as a the well-being of the family. part of a centuries-old tradition and a Sabor: the gathering of people and special way of life. priests during religious celebrations are often placed in beautiful natural settings Conservation perspectives and near holy places. They have been held sustainability since the sixteenth century and have a vast social significance. During theSa - Today, the spiritual heritage in this re- bor, a religious service is performed gion is very well preserved and it is and is followed by a popular feast. fostered in the families and the local

196 community. Thanks to the enormous There are no official records of the efforts of the monastic community, the number of pilgrims, religious visitors clergy of the Mileseva Eparchy and and tourists who are currently visiting Bishop Filaret, the spiritual, cultural the monastery. According to a rough and economic life of the whole epar- estimation of Mother Ana, the prioress chy has been improved. There is a of the monastery, approximately 70 good cooperation among Bishop Filar- 000 persons visit the complex annual- et, sisterhood of the Mileseva monas- ly. Several thousand people are at- tery and the clergy of Mileseva Epar- tending the religious celebrations - chy, on the one hand, and the man- and around 1500 people arrive there agement authorities of the natural re- each weekend. serve, on the other. At the moment, archaeological re- Bishop Filaret is very active in renova- search and pre-conservation works are tion and strengthening of the economy conducted on several locations under of the monasteries, and the erection of the supervision of the Institute for the new churches. He also enhances spir- Protection of Cultural Monuments of itual activities and promotes the in- Serbia. crease of the numbers of monks and Despite its successive destructions nuns. In the monastery complex, on the and deterioration caused in the course foundations of the old building, a library of time, the Mileseva Monastery pre- and treasury have been constructed. A served a fair part of the original fres- new building for the accommodation of coes, which today stand out character- pilgrims and religious visitors was built, ised by great beauty and original ex- as well as a new dormitory for nuns. pression. After conservation works Also, since the bishop plans to develop were completed, the frescoes were tourist activities in all protected areas in again in good condition. In 1996, an his eparchy, a tourist facility was built eminent professional jury consisting of on Zlatar Mountain, some 14 km away over one hundred academics, paint- from the monastery in order to reduce ers, art critics and art historians, with a the pressure of tourists on the monas- majority of votes announced the White tery complex and its surroundings. Angel from Mileseva as the most im- There is a café near the gate of the portant painting of the millennium in monastery complex. A radio station the area of former Yugoslavia (Cmil- called ‘Mileseva’ has also been estab- janovic, 2009). The art of the Mileseva lished. Bishop Filaret’s enthusiasm for frescoes influenced artistic ideas, building constructions, and his man- which flow there more impulsively and agement capacities caused conflicts in strongly than in other regions. the cultural and religious fields; and a question was raised, when the building The Mileseva artistic colony was set up of new facilities in the monastic com- in 1974 in the monastery. It has estab- plex should stop? lished spiritual continuity, finding key

197 inspiration in Mileseva fresco painting, have been issued, and waste disposal in the monastery’s architecture and in sites on the edge of the protected zone nature that surrounds the monastery. have been tolerated. Recently, the Serbi- an government approved research for the reopening of the copper, lead and Pressures and impacts zinc mine ‘Cadinja’ that is only 7 km away from the Mileseva Monastery. Fur- The Raska region is one of the most thermore there are pressures to increase undeveloped parts of Serbia. The dis- the industrial exploitation of a decorative integration of Yugoslavia, the sanc- stone within the protected area. Moreo- tions, the ethnic conflicts in the Bal- ver, the amounts of wild berries and kans and NATO strikes caused eco- herbs picked exceed set limits. nomic stagnation. The poor economy and bad infrastructure cause perma- Currently, the main threat to the mon- nent migrations of local population to astery and the monastic landscape is the more developed parts of Serbia. the illegal building of private houses in its surroundings. Agriculture is extensive and it is prac- tised in a traditional way. Food is of Growing pressure is put on the hydro- very good quality, produced mainly to power potential of River Lim Basin, which fulfil personal needs and feed local River Milesevka is part of, where many markets. The population in the villages important cultural and historical sites are generally is aging. The local authorities located, although the Institute for Nature are not capable of supporting rural de- Conservation of Serbia and the Institute velopment and the Serbian govern- for the Protection of Cultural Monuments ment has not taken any systematic have prepared projects for the preserva- measures in that direction so far. The tion and protection of those sites. Serbian government is very interested On the other hand, many cultural in exploiting the natural resources, as it events are being organised, which ful- desperately needs economic develop- fil the spiritual needs of the pilgrims. ment and investments. For that reason, After consultation with the main stake- the Government neglects the protec- holders, a number of recommenda- tion of these natural resources. tions have been made, covering a Spatial planning of the region has not wide range of issues from planning to been carried out so far, which creates specific management aspects, that management problems in the protect- can affront the main challenges and ed areas. pressures the site is receiving. Poverty, institutional and personal irre- sponsibility, as well as incompetence, Recommendations lead in some cases to illegal behaviour. For instance, a large number of licenses The preservation of any protected value for wood exploitation and new buildings is, to some extent, dependent on the

198 different needs of the stakeholders. A • Ecotourism is the way forward, as it vital and prospering local community, would contribute to the economic in- aware of the value and significance of dependence of the local population. its heritage, is the best guardian of the It should be based on promoting the natural values, and it is of great impor- natural beauty and the preservation tance to offer to it an alternative to the of the traditional spiritual and ethical present socio-economic development. values, associated to skills and There are possibilities for development knowledge about life in nature, or- in several traditional areas, such as tra- ganic products and traditional hand- ditional agricultural practices (produc- icrafts. The following actions are tion of organic food), old crafts and in a recommended: few new ones (such as tourism), but taking always under consideration the 1) The establishment of a network of free spirit and pride of local people. Pa- walking trails and cycling tracks tience and careful dialogue among all connecting the natural protected local stakeholders are necessary. sites with the places of spiritual, cul- tural and historical importance of the In light of the above analysis and diag- area. This action should follow the nosis we suggest the following identification of viewpoints (lookouts) actions: and resting places. One or several • The preparation of a spatial plan for tourist information booths should be the region should be the top priority. placed on strategic points along the This plan should aim to conserve this trails. precious heritage as a whole, includ- 2) The reconstruction of the walking ing all the religious, spiritual, cultural trail which leads to Saint Sava’s and natural values. hermitage. • The management of the protected ar- ea in cooperation with local authori- 3) The reconstruction of the walking ties should seek markets in Serbia trail through the Milesevka Gorge. and abroad for high-quality organic 4) The restoration interventions need- food and promote in that way sales of ed to prevent the collapse of some local products, which will increase portions of the walls of the fortified the income of the villagers. With the town of Milesevac, which is in a bad support of the authorities, projects condition. should be launched and encourage young people from urban centres to 5) The conservation and revitalisa- return to their homeland and renew tion of cultural heritage and its natu- the production of local organic food. ral surroundings, either in situ (in ex- • It is of the great importance to pro- isting ethnological complexes with mote waste reduction and to con- traditional rural architecture) or in struct a regional waste disposal and designed ethno parks, such as recycling plant. open-air museums are needed. The

199 building of the new houses and tour- • Raise the awareness of the local in- ist facilities should be done respect- habitants and entrepreneurs about ing the principles and styles of tradi- the great value of nature and culture tional architecture. they inherited and the necessity for conservation, protection and restora- 6) The capacity building of the local tion of these values. human resources for training in or- ganic food production, ecotourism, • Establishment of cooperation with traditional crafts and skills (carpen- other protected areas with signifi- try, weaving, beekeeping, wool pro- cant spiritual and cultural values at cessing) and the nurturing of cultural the international level. and spiritual identity. To accomplish all of the above-men- 7) The set up of a unique website tioned goals, help and support by the that should promote the whole re- international community is needed. gion and facilitate access to infor- mation about the area.

200 References

Cmiljanovic, M. (2009), Art gathering Mileseva Prijepolje 35 years of work, Prije- polje: Prijepolje Cultural Centre.

Kandic, O., Popovic, S., Zaric, R. (1995), The Mileseva Monastery, Belgrade: Re- publican Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments

Lukic, M. (2004), Integrated Rehabilitation Project Plan / Survey of the Architectur- al and Archaeological Heritage (IRPP/SAAH), Serbia and Montenegro (Serbia)-Eu- ropean Commission-Council of Europe Joint Programme.

Matovic, M. (1992), Relic Flora and Vegetation in Canyon of the Milesevka River [Serbia, Yugoslavia] are Endangered, Kragujevac: the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of biology.

Mitrovic, M. (1995), Ethic of Saintsavaism and the Spirit of Modernism in Sympo- sium: `Village days of Sreten Vukosavljevic XIV` Prijepolje: The Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Prijepolje.

Nemirovski, J. (1996), First and second printing houses of the Mileseva Monastery in Mileseva Writings 2, Prijepolje: Museum in Prijepolje.

Spasic, D. (1996), Medieval fortified towns of the middle Polimlje in Mileseva Writ- ings 2, Prijepolje: Museum in Prijepolje.

Subotic, V., Skovran, A., Vlahovic, P. (2010), Biseri stare Raske [Highlights of Old Raska], Belgrade: Homeland society of People from Nova Varos in Belgrade.

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